Folding chair



2 sheets-sheet 1.

.(No Model.)

lL. BUSH, Jr. FOLDING CHAIR.

Patented May 6, 1884.

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IlNiTnD l STATES ATEN'T OFFICE.

LEWIS BUSH, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 4ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,0v65,vd`ted May 6, 1884. Application filed January 12, 1883. Renewed April 7, 1884. (No model .l

To @ZZ whom, t may con/cern,.-

`Be it known that I, LEWIS BUSH, Jr., of

Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oi'- Illinois, have invented--certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs; andy I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in` folding or invalid chairs. Itrelates more particularly to that class of chairs having a hinged back which is supported by inclined arms pivoted to the sides of said back, and adjustably secured to the chair-seat by means of a'series of notches in the lower ends of said arms, which p engage stationary studs upon the sides of the scatti-ame. Its object is to provide a device for more readily engaging and disengaging the ends of the supporting-arms from the studs upon the chair-frame in the operation of adj usting the chair-back; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a folding chair provided with an adjusting device constructed as proposed by my invention. Fig.k 2 is a perspective view in detail of the parts composing my invention. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the Fig.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification.

In the chair illustrated, to which my invention is shown as applied, A is one of the side pieces of the seat-frame, and a a are the legs supporting the same.

B is the chair-back, which is connected at its lower end to the rear of the seat-frame by a hinged joint in the customary manner.

C is an arm-rest pivoted at one end to the back-frame at b, and at the other end-to a vertical piece, D, which latter piece is pivoted at its lower end, by means of a screw-stud, d, to a stationary bracket, E, attached to the seat. frame A. The bracket E projects laterally from the side of the frame A, and has an upwardly and forwardly projecting arm provided with 5o a vertical slot, E, having in its lower portion a stud or pin, e.

' F is the arm which supports the back-frame B, which is pivoted to said frame at b, and passes at its lower and free end through the slot E in the bracket E. The'supporting-arm F is provided at its lower end with a number of notches,f, eitherone of which may be placed over the stud e, and the chair-back thereby held in any positionvdesired. Upon the upper end of the bracket E a socket, Ff, is formed, which is intended to receive a standard for supporting a desk or other purpose.

The devices above described are those previously in use, and form no part of my invention, with the exception that the notches f, which have heretofore been inclined in the manner of va ratchet, so as to allow a forward movement of the chair-back, I have formed in the edge of the arm F, at rightangles to such edge, so that the chair-back cannot be moved in either 'direction without first raising. the arms F and disengagingthe said notches from the stud e.

For the purpose of facilitating the operation of engaging and disengaging the notches in the supporting-arm F from the stud e in the operation Vof adjusting the chair-back, I have provided at each side of the chair a hand-lever, G, which is pivoted to a depending 1ug,e2, on the bracket E, and has a downwardlycurved handle, G', which projects backwardly and in convenient position to be grasped by a personsittingJn the chair. G moves in a plane parallel with and outside ofthe supporting-arms F, and is provided with laterally-projecting lugs g2 g3, on its inner face, which bear against the edges of the supporting-arm F, and serve to raise and lower said arm as the lever G is moved by the hand, and at the same time allow said supporting-arm to slide between them longitudinally when the chair-back is being adjusted. The lever G is` secured to the end of a rod, g, which has its bearing in the depending lug e2 on said bracket, and which extends to the opposite side of the chair-seat, where it has a similar bearing and Y is connected to the corresponding lever on that side.' The levers G at each side of the chair are rigidly secured, as shown, to the end lof the rod g, so that-any movement given to one lever will cause a corresponding move# ment in the opposite one.

The said lever IOO For the purpose of throwing and retaining the notches f in the supporting-arm F in engagement with the stud c, a coiled spring, H, between the upper end of the bracket E and the upwardly-curved portion of the lever G, is provided. Such spring is held in place by having its ends placed over nipples c and g', located on said bracket and lever, respectively. The effect of the spring H is to press the lever G downward and the supportingarm F against the stud e, so as to retain the said stud in any one ofthe notches in said arm in which it maybe placed, and the said spring will at the same time yield readily when it is desired to raise the lever G for the purpose of releasing` the supporting-arm from the stud.

In adjusting the chair-back the lever G is raised by the hand until the supporting-arm is disengaged from the stud e, and the back is then moved into the desired position. The lug g`z on the lever G in this operation serves to hold the said supporting-arm up, so that the notchcsf will be prevented from catching upon the stud e. Upon releasing the lever G the spring H will force the supporting-arm into engagement with the stud e, and the chai r-back will be thereby securely locked in position.

It is intended that the devices described shall be placed on both sides of the chair, and thelevers G, being connected by the rod g, as described, are operated simultaneously by raising either one of them.

The bracket E, which has been described, is not essential to the operation of my invention; but said bracket may be dispensed with, and the stud c attached directly to the side piece of the frame A. In such ease I pivot the lever G upon the side piece of the seatframe, as shown in Fig. 5, and provide a slot, g, in the said lever7 for guiding and holding the arm F, instead of the lugs g2 y" thereon, the said slot in the lever G taking the place of the slot E in the bracket E, for the purpose of holding the arm F in proper position with reference to the side piece of the seat-frame and the stud c.

In case the bracket E is dispensed with, the spring H may be replaced by a coiled spring placed at the pivotal point on the lever G, as shown at G', in Fig. 5, so that said spring will throw the end of said lever down and keep the arm F in engagement with the stud e, in the manner before described. A spring for this purpose can lnanifestly be applied in any one of several Well-known ways, so as to effect the result stated.

I claim as my invention- I. In a folding chair, the combinatiomwith the seat-frame, the back-frame pivoted thereto, and a notched supporting-arm pivoted to the baclrfranie, of a stud fixed to the seat-frame, and a hand-lever, G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a folding chair, the combination, with the seat-fra1ne, the back-frame pivoted to said seat-frame, a notched supporting-arm, and a stud for engagement with said notched arm, attached to the seat-frame, of a pivotedhand lever, G, and asprinr, H, substantially as and for the purpose sct forth.

3. The combination, with the frame A, piv otcd back B, and the notched supporting-arm F, of a bracket, E, provided with a stud, c, and the lever G, pivoted to the said bracket, and having lugs y g", arranged above and be' low said supporting-arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a folding chair, the combination, with the seat-frame, studs c, secured thereto, the back-frame pivoted to said seat-frame, and notched supporting-arms pivoted to the backframe and constructed to engage said studs, of hand-levers G, placed on both sides of the seatframe, and a rod, g, connecting said levers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVIS BUSH, J n.

Vtnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, .Inssn Cox, Jr. 

